Can you change someone’s life by making them run an ultra marathon?
What happened to the world? When did life become so grey?
Where did all the colour go?
Cheap dopamine and digital comfort has made our society sick --
It is no coincidence that colour vanished from our lives at the same time as deep, rich (often hard) IRL experiences.
Our hypothesis: bring back these experiences to people's lives --> colour returns (and them some).
So, how do we test this hypothesis?
Plan:
1. Find someone who indulges in the comfort of modern society. 2. Convince them to take on one of the richest, most difficult challenges humans voluntarily endure: an ultramarathon. 3. See what happens.
So, who will do this?
This is Rod. One year ago, the furthest Rod have ever run was 3km.
We proposed the idea he should run an ultra marathon in 12 weeks time. He said no. He argued it was not possible. He wasn't even a runner.
After some strong convincing, Rod agreed to try, was enrolled into our experiment.
3 months later, we staged an ultra marathon (50km) in South Downs National Park. Rod arrived (unconfident).
6 hours later, Rod finished the race, DFL 'Dead F**king Last'. Regardless, Rod was now an ultramarathon runner.
Rod was tired, jubilant, but overwhelmingly--confused(?!).
He had done it. But how? He had trained, but struggled in training. Had minimal sleep for the past week. Yet still, he had done it.
The true revelation seemingly came on the Monday morning after the race.
Rod called. Legs sore, but mind --a cocktail of anger and curiosity had washed over him.
" Why didn't I think I could do it??... I mean, what does that say about me? Have I just been holding myself back my whole life?... "
" Are there other parts of my life I have done this to myself?... F**k probably so many... "
" I know it was just a run... And this is going to sound extreme, but the world feels like it has opened up to me in strange way. "
Dear Rod: COLOUR HAS RETURNED.
Exhibit A ^ - our hypothesis was..correct?! We didn't quite know. But alongside 25 others Rod had completed an ultra marathon.
And in doing something ++ special happened.
Rod had stolen a day back from the clutches of the mundanity of his everyday--an everyday that was attempting to steal his life from under him-- a life that optimised for grey comfort--rather than colourful (hard won) richness-- a day saved from the dead, now immortalised forever.
A day that would affect how he lived all 364 others.
Our society has become sick with greyness: and maybe..just maybe..we have found a medicine.
Arc Project was born.
Next up AP2.
Arc Project